Luontoretki on Pienten Helsinki

Helsinki's Islands: Lammassaari and Kuusiluoto

Sat, 11 May 2024 21:00:00 +0200

An Autumn Adventure to Lammassaari and Kuusiluoto

Published 25.8.2018

Helsinki's Islands is a series of easy island destinations for children. The series showcases the favorites of the Small Helsinki team across the city.

Update 2025: The summer sheep have left Kuusiluoto to spend winter elsewhere and will return in early June 2026.
Please note that the summer sheep are initially shy in their new environment, so approach them calmly.
The photos in this article from Lammassaari and Kuusiluoto are from June and autumn 2017.

Picnic at the Summit of Kruunuvuori

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:00:00 +0200

Kruunuvuori Villa Area in Laajasalo

Published 4.10.2017

The Kruunuvuori villa area is located in Kaitalahtipuisto in Laajasalo. The area gets its informal name from the wooden villas built in the early 20th century, unfortunately almost all of which have been destroyed. From the summit of Kruunuvuori, spectacular views open up to Suomenlinna, the city center and downtown skyline, Korkeasaari, Mustikkamaa, and numerous other islands and well-known landmarks.

The terrain is dense, overgrown, and unkempt deciduous forest with rocky ground, steep ascents, and ravines. The route is quite difficult to walk and for small children it's worth bringing a backpack carrier and leaving strollers at home. Due to the difficult terrain, the area cannot be recommended for those taking their first walks in the forest, but for small and large adventurers, Kruunuvuori is all the more fantastic a hiking destination. You can reach Kruunuvuorenranta by bus number 88 from Herttoniemi. A nice cycling route to the area runs from Herttoniemi along the shore through Tullisaari Park.

First Destination: Kruunuvuori Lake

We set our first goal to find a lake from the center of the villa area. We set out from Kaitalahti, following a fairly wide path from the end of the Main Road that led up a steep slope. At this point it was clear that strollers have no business here. The path winding through dense forest is occasionally rocky and at other times completely muddy in the forest, so rubber boots or water-resistant hiking boots are a good choice here, if not a requirement. After walking for a while, we came to a crossroads from which we could see the lake peeking through the trees in the autumn sun. The secret lake had been found!

Kruunuvuori villa area lake

Even a grumpy four-year-old sat down to admire the views.

Water lilies grow in Kruunuvuori lake.

Through the dense deciduous forest surrounding the water lily-covered lake, the clear autumn sun shone through, illuminating the area with golden light that even made the moody four-year-old pause for a moment. The dark, humus-rich water creates a wonderful contrast to the surrounding deciduous trees. The lake is not without reason called one of Helsinki’s most beautiful secrets.

Helsinki's Islands: Autumn Talosaari

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 05:54:00 +0200

Secret Talosaari, Husö

Published 24.9.2017

Autumn Talosaari (Husö) in eastern Helsinki offered a real nature excursion when we headed out to admire autumn nature in hopes of mushroom hunting. The place is familiar from summer outings, so the first autumn visit offered truly unique nature experiences compared to summer. The mushrooms stayed in the forest, but otherwise the trip was unforgettable: horses, migratory birds, snakes, giant ant hills and two beaver lodges (and some beavers lurking somewhere nearby).